Yarn package fastening and tensioning means for dye spindles



May 20, 1958 P. E. JACKSON 2,335,124

YARN PACKAGE FASTENING AND TENSIONING MEANS FOR DYE SPINDLES Filed July 13, 1956 INVENTOR PEARCE JACKSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent YARN PACKAGE FASTENING ,AND' TENSIONING MEANS FOR DYE SPINDLES Pearce E; Jackson, Columbus, Ga.

Application July 13, 1956, Serial No. 597,821 2 claims. Ci. 68-198) This inventioiirelates generally to package dyeing machines and the like, and specifically to means for holding and tensioning wound packages of yarn or thread on the perforated spindles of such machines while dye liquor, bleaching'liqu'id or heated air is forced through the wound materialfirst in one direction and then in the other. K

Such machines have many perforated tubes or spindles on which the yarn packages are threaded and it is necessary to provide at the tops of the spindles some means for holding the packages under tension so that the circulating fluid will be forced to pass through the yarn rather than by-pass it between the packages or around the endmost packages when a plurality of packages are on one dye spindle as is usually the case. Such holding and tensioning means have in the past been washers and nuts applied to screw threaded stems at the tops of the perforated spindles, but various other means have been proposed such as can cariyir'ig' pawls to engage ratchet teeth on the spindle stems and similar structures.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved holding and tensioning means of the pawl and ratchet type which may be effectively used when either spring wound packages :or rigid perforated core packages are used and also when both kinds of packages are on the same dye spindle.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the upper end of a dye spindle showing :the invention applied thereto with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side view on a reduced scale showing four spring core packages held on a dye spindle by the use of this invention, parts being broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing packages with perforated rigid cylindrical cores; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch pawl.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the numeral denotes the usual perforated dye spindle, the same being a metal tube or pipe with perforations 11 for the flow of the fluid from or to a header 12 to which the open lower end of the spindle is suitably fixed. As is well known, many of these spindles rise from a header or the like, and they are usually many times the length of a yarn package so that a plurality of the latter may be threaded upon them. Rising centrally from the closed top of the spindle is a reduced cylindrical stem 13 on which is formed a series of annular ratchet teeth 14. These teeth have flat and horizontal lower faces 15 and inclined upper or outer faces 16, the angle being preferably about as shown. There are preferably about 6 or 8 of these angular teeth to the inch and they form annular grooves to receive a locking or holding latch as later described.

The yarn to be processed comes in various forms the most popular being yarn wound on coil springs as indicated at 18 in Fig. 3 in which 19 designates the wound yarn or other fiber. Yarn' is also wound on perforated dye sleeves or tubes of rigid material as indicated at 20 in Fig. 4. In the case of wool and wool blends, the fibers may be wound on a cylindrical core and the core removed, this form being commonly known as tops. Any of these forms of hollow cylindrical packages may be held on the spindles under tension by the use of this invention.

The improved holding and tensioning means comprises a metal cap plate 22 of circular or polygonal shape and of a size slightly less than the diameter of the wound package. Welded to the top of the plate around a central hole 23 is a cylindrical tube 24 with an inside diameter slightly greater than that of the stem 13 so that the tube and plate may move freely on the latter and will be guided in their vertical sliding movement. Formed in the tube about midway of its length is a vertical slot 25 to receive a latch or pawl 26 which 'coacts with the teeth 14 on the stem. The latch is an elongated metal bar of generally rectangular shape and is pivotally supported between its ends in a bearing bracket 27 projecting from the side of the tube 24 below the slot 25. The bracket is formed by two spaced parallel ears or side plates 28 which are welded to the tube and have the upper portions of their outer ends welded to a cross bar 29. The bracket plates 28 are formed with alined openings to receive a pivot 30 about which the latch 26 swings. The pivot is preferably a bolt and it passes through a hole in the latch closer to the lower end 31 than the upper end 32 of the latch. The upper end of the latch is thus heavier and tends to move into the slot so that its beveled extremity 33 normally engages the ratchet teeth on the spindle stem. The latch bar is so proportioned and mounted on the pivot 30 and the cross bar 29 is so positioned, that the latch bar has only a limited swinging movement. It is disposed at approximately a 30 angle and its movement is limited by its straight upper side engaging either the upper or lower edges of the bottom of the fiat rectangular cross bar 29. The limit of inward movement of its beveled end 33 permits the latter to engage the horizontal face 15 of one of the teeth 14 and thus positively prevent upward movement of cap plate on the stem 13, while the outward movement of the end 33 is suflicient to permit it to clear the teeth so that the cap plate may move downwardly on the stem of its own weight. It will be noted that the downwardly and outwardly projecting end 31 of the pawl or latch bar is so disposed below the ears and adjacent the cap plate, that it may be actuated by a digit of the hand used to manipulate the tube 24. This is true even though it may be necessary for the operator to use both hands to compress the packages down on the dye spindle.

When the yarn packages 19 are coreless or have spring cores, the cap plate is pressed down on the uppermost package so that all of them are compressed and fluid will be forced to flow through the yarn. As the latter shrinks the cap plate will lower since the end 33 of the latch will ratchet freely over the teeth. When the yarn packages have rigid perforated cores as in Fig. 4 it is necessary to use elastic washers 36 of acid resistant material such as rubber or plastic between the cores of next adjacent packages and also between lowermost package and the header 12 and between the uppermost package and the cap plate 22.

Some package dyeing machines have as many as fifty spindles and it has been found that by the use of the present invention much time is saved in both applying and removing the yarn tensioning and holding devices. Not only is the overbalanced latch 26 so mounted that it will permit the device to lower of its own weight on the ratchet stem 13 as the yarn shrinks, but by simply grasping the tube 24 with a finger pressing against the lower end 3.1 of the latch, the latter will be moved sufiiciently to cause its end 33 to clear the teeth 14 and hence the device may be quickly and easily applied to the stem and as readily removed. When the device is pressed down on the uppermost package and pressure on the end 31 is released, the end 33 becomes effective to lock the device against upward movement. The cross bar 29 limits the movement of the latch as above explained and the weight of its end 32 causes it to move to a locking position when its lower end is released.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and while preferences have been disclosed, attention is invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Means for fastening and tensioning yarn pack-ages on a perforated dye spindle having at its top a cylindrical stem with a longitudinal series of annular ratchet teeth having horizontal bottom faces and inclined top faces, said means comprising a cap plate with a central hole to freely receive the stem, a tube rising centrally from said plate and surrounding said hole, the tube being guided by the stem and formed between its ends with a vertical slot, 2 pair of spaced ears projecting laterally from said tube beneath said slot, a straight latch bar disposed in an upwardly and inwardly inclined position between said ears with its upper end disposed in said slot, a transverse pivot passing through said ears and through said latch bar at a point closer to its lower end than its upper end, whereby said upper end will be biased into engagement with said teeth, and a cross bar connecting the outer end 4 portions of said ears and disposed'in spaced relation to the upper edge of said latch bar to limit the outward swinging movement of its upper end, the lower end of said latch bar projecting below said ears and adjacent the top of said plate for actuation by a digit of a hand grasping said tube.

2. Means for fastening and tensioning yarn packages on a perforated dye spindle having at its top a cylindrical stem with a longitudinal series of annular ratchet teeth having horizontal bottom faces and inclined top faces, said means comprising a cap plate with a central hole to freely receive the stern, a cylindrical tube rising centrally from said plate and surrounding said hole, said tube having an internal diameter slightly larger than said stem to guide the tube for free sliding movement on the stem, a vertical slot extending longitudinally in an intermediate portion of said tube, a pair of horizontally spaced ears projecting laterally from said tube beneath the lower end of said slot, a straight latch bar of generally rectangular shape disposed between said cars in an upwardly and inwardly inclined position, a transverse pivot pin passing through said ears and through said latch bar at a point closer to its lower end than its upper end whereby said upper end will be biased to swing inwardly, the upper end of said lat-chbar having an angular extremity disposed in said slot and engageable with said ratchet teeth, the lower end of said latch bar having a length to project below said ears and adjacent the top of said plate for engagement by the digit of a hand grasping said tube, and a flat cross bar connecting the outer ends of said cars opposite said pivot pin and disposed in spaced relation to the upper edge of the latch bar to limit the swinging movement of the latter in both directions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

